


DSMP / Badlands Drabbles & AUs

by jack-of-alltrades (bumblebeeJacky)



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dream SMP, Alternate Universe - Natural Magic, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cursed Human Skeppy, Demon Bad, Family Dynamics, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Night Terrors, Sick Character, dadboyhalo, its very skeppy-centric, magic aus anyone?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29752431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bumblebeeJacky/pseuds/jack-of-alltrades
Summary: I'm gonna compile things more unrelated to my Badlands Family AU here! The real summaries will be notes and chapter titles! I'll do my best to update tags as I go. If anyone wants to request something, feel free to ask!! <3 - Cloverfield
Relationships: Skeppy/Badboyhalo
Comments: 23
Kudos: 70





	1. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Skeppy should have never trusted Dream.
> 
> Translations:  
> ᔑʖ⍑𝙹∷∷ᒷリℸ ̣ ᒲ𝙹リᓭℸ ̣ ᒷ∷ ---> Abhorrent monster  
> !¡ꖎᒷᔑᓭᒷ ⊣ᒷℸ ̣ ᒲᒷ 𝙹⚍ℸ ̣ 𝙹⎓ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ ---> Please get me out of here...  
> ↸𝙹リ'ℸ ̣ ʖᒷ ᓭᓵᔑ∷ᒷ↸, i'ꖎꖎ !¡∷𝙹ℸ ̣ ᒷᓵℸ ̣ ||𝙹⚍ ---> Don't be scared, I'll protect you  
> ╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ᓭ𝙹 ᒲ⚍ᓵ⍑, ᒲ|| ↸ᒷᒲ𝙹リ ---> I love you so much, my demon  
> ╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ℸ ̣ 𝙹𝙹, ᒲ|| ↸╎ᔑᒲ𝙹リ↸ ---> I love you too, my diamond

Nothing felt right anymore.

He'd been taken weeks, or perhaps longer before his rescue. He'd been tricked and lied to, told his best friend needed to see him, was too busy to come himself and, in the trust and friendly companionship he felt with Dream, the diamond boy had followed without a real thought.

He'd made idle conversation that Dream took to easily, answering questions and returning sarcastic, teasing remarks with ones of his own like the two were old friends. He had Skeppy laughing, lightly nudging him or running a little ahead only to stop and make sure Dream was still in sight as the masked man led him down the path the boy didn't recognize.

But Skeppy didn't see anything wrong. He was optimistic, he knew he could be dramatic and temperamental but he'd been in a good mood, and he remembered friendly bonding with Dream, remembered the masked man training the diamond boy in axe combat, how to crit, when to back off, how to use a shield.

Skeppy didn't think anything was _wrong_. Dream was his _friend_. Although, they weren't _that_ close, and Bad had known the man far longer than Skeppy had, but the two got on well despite how much teasing Bad and Skeppy endure from the Dream Team.

His mistake was having so much trust in him; it was him paying such little mind to past events, not involving himself in the chaos of the SMP and thus having _no idea_ the danger he could find himself in depending on who he spoke with, who he spent any amount of time with.

And his _first_ mistake was believing it when Dream said he'd take him to Bad.

He was taken off guard, knocked out with two strong hits to his head when they were a good distance away from the main SMP. The first hit sent him to the ground, looking up in horror to see striking hazel eyes looking down on him with a sick grin matching his mask before Skeppy's world went _black_.

He'd been threatened, and he brushed the threats off like they were nothing, but when _Bad_ was threatened, Skeppy was disgustingly compliant, although _angry_. He wasn't afraid to admit how much anger he felt, how any friendliness and companionship was now twisted and as disgusting as the vines from that stupid egg Bad loved so much.

Dream didn't care, ruthless and unforgiving. Skeppy fought back twice, and _only_ twice.

Because each one ended in a lost life. Dream thought into it, so unaffected by Skeppy's punches and hits when the diamond boy didn't have a single weapon and Dream was decked out in Netherite.

_Skeppy suffocated to death_

_Skeppy went up in flames_

He hated it, everything about it.

He was shoved into the wall, barred in and left to _rot_.

Dream had the sense to take away his communicator and every night, after forgetting and patting his pockets again, Skeppy would hide any tears that leaked out into his pants, curling up the best he could into the tight space as he bawled into his knees. He was never more grateful that Dream rarely spent the night around the area.

He had the _audacity_ to ask Skeppy if he was okay the first time, and the diamond boy nearly threw up, instead heaving for a few minutes before he hid in his hoodie, pulling the strings tight as he squirmed back as far as he could.

He knows he can be dramatic, throw tantrums for the sake of it and the amusement of a frustrated Bad, he knows he can be incredibly emotional, but it felt warranted. He was barred in a two block tall _hole in the wall_ in an incredibly dark room, left all alone and god, he wanted _Bad_.

He begged a few times closer to the end, starved and tiny and weakly pleading Dream let him see or talk to Bad, he'd give anything even to just be _greeted_ by Bad.

As expected, he was denied every time.

When it all came crashing down, Skeppy used his hoodie to shield his eyes from the light brought into the cage by torches as Dream led Tommy and Tubbo through the hall, chills making the diamond boy shiver as he peered up from his incredibly stiff knees and met the worried and frankly terrified eyes of two of the kids of the SMP.

His fingers gripped the bars, a hint of his old spirit back in him as he hissed words in a language the boys didn't know, and the only clear words of English, "Don't you lay a _fucking_ hand on them, you _ᔑʖ⍑𝙹∷∷ᒷリℸ ̣ ᒲ𝙹リᓭℸ ̣ ᒷ∷_!"

They didn't understand anything he spoke from there, but he was certainly riled up, absolutely furious to see and hear what Dream was up to, to piece it together in his head as the boys plead for their lives.

He seemed to quiet when Punz's voice echoed through the large room and he was hiding in his hoodie again as footsteps approached. When a shadow blocked the little light he got from within the cage, he flinched back, uttering incomprehensible words against his pants until a soft voice reached his ears, "S'geppy...?"

Skeppy's breath hitched in his throat, he could hear the gasps and whispers of horror of their friends as he slowly lifted his head. When he saw the other, he was sitting up more, shaking fingers of one hand gripping the bars tight as the other tried to reach through the bars. A broken sound left the diamond boy when void black fingers brushed his, a soft voice cooing, "I'm here, S'geppy, I'm here.."

" _!¡ꖎᒷᔑᓭᒷ ⊣ᒷℸ ̣ ᒲᒷ 𝙹⚍ℸ ̣ 𝙹⎓ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ_..."

Bad's brows forrowed, but he responded in the language just as easily as Skeppy spoke it, " _↸𝙹リ'ℸ ̣ ʖᒷ ᓭᓵᔑ∷ᒷ↸, i'ꖎꖎ !¡∷𝙹ℸ ̣ ᒷᓵℸ ̣ ||𝙹⚍_..."

The boy whimpered, tugged once at the bars, and when Bad held his hands up, whispering reassuring words and promising protection as he held up his pick, breaking the bars rather quickly and freeing him.

But when Skeppy slowly crawled toward the opening, he glanced over, saw the smiling mask and he crawled back in, shaking as he shook his head, breath coming quicker as he refused to leave, hissed foul language and explanations in Galactic as Bad first seemed to pale, but then his fear turned into blatant rage, a low growl leaving his lips as he turned to the masked man.

Sam was the one to coax Skeppy out, getting him as far as sitting on the edge. The creeper wouldn't let Skeppy turn his head or look at Bad, even getting in his way when the sickening sounds reached his ears and Skeppy's head jerked in that direction.

It was only a few minutes and the boy only really calmed down when the creeper pressed his gentle hands over his ears, reassuring the boy it was okay, he was _safe_ now.

Skeppy felt a little relief upon seeing Tommy and Tubbo standing with the rest, watching on in horror, and he felt a bit _more_ relief when Sapnap walked over, gently wrapping his fingers around his father's upper arm, offering a weak smile when Skeppy looked up at him.

He only really relaxed when Bad returned to their sides, and his head was too loud, he couldn't _think_ , but the room was eerily quiet as Skeppy reached up, choking on any words he was about to spout when Bad lifted him up like it was nothing, gently tucking his smaller husband against his chest and purring. " _ᓵᔑリ ∴ᒷ ⊣𝙹 ⍑𝙹ᒲᒷ リ𝙹∴?_ " Skeppy asked softly, letting his eyes close as his arms reached up, winding around Bad's neck and more comfortably allowing him to tuck his head against the nether demon's neck.

Getting back to normal living was proven to be quite difficult.

It took days to more regulate Skeppy's diet and get him eating and drinking again. It took even longer to get him to sleep through the night.

The first night had scared the life out of Bad. A yell had woken him up from where he'd dozed on the couch, and when he'd booked it to their shared bedroom, he found the boy curled up on the floor in the corner, blankets twisted mercilessly around his legs as he heaved for air he couldn't get.

Bad was horrified, but he resisted his urge to run to Skeppy's side, instead tapping his knuckles against the wall to catch the boy's attention. When he looked up, Bad crouched slowly, holding his hands up as his tail softly thwapped against the ground behind him. "S'geeeppy," He cooed, watching the boy hiccup and gasp, coughing on his words and watching the demon with wide eyes.

"It's just me, your husband," he breathed. "You're safe here, okay? Deep breaths, sweetheart." It didn't seem to be helping for a moment, but Skeppy eyed him, shaking as he breathed harshly and pressed a hand to his own chest, trying to show his breaths.

Bad didn't move until Skeppy whimpered, reaching a hand out for the demon and squirming closer. He crawled over to the other, gently pressing himself against Skeppy's side and holding out his arms. He had to smile somewhat as the boy scrambled into the demon's lap, shakes and gasps starting to quiet down when Bad purred loudly under him, tail wrapping around one of his legs as one of his hands gently pressed against Skeppy's back. He rubbed his back firmly, his other hand gently scratching through his hair with his claws as he calmed him down. "Follow my breathing, S'geppy, it'll be okay..."

"Bad..."

"I know, I know..."

The two sat in silence for a long while, holding onto each other in the dead of night as Skeppy came down, whispered the details of his dream into Bad's shoulder and begged the demon to stay by his side.

Skeppy only slept from there with Bad at his side, and it became rather common to find him on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with dark circles under his eyes waiting for Bad when the demon came home late. Bad did his absolute best to not stay out too late with friends, and it was soothing to know they were okay with the demon cutting it short.

He'd glance up at the sky, gasp upon seeing the stars and look so guiltily at his friends, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize how late it was getting! I need to get home so S'geppy can get to bed!"

They always understood after what they'd seen that day, and Bad always found him half asleep on their couch, struggling to stay awake as he awaited his husband. Bad would step in slowly, rid himself of his armor, and go about his nightly routine.

And when he was ready, he'd lift Skeppy up into his arms, carrying him to bed and curling up with him, whispered promises to never leave his side keeping him calm until he finally fell asleep.

It'd be a rough recovery for everyone, but that meant they understood that much more. Bad didn't mind the ride, watching after his husband and using spare time to check in with his friends.

Sometimes there'd be a visitor there for Skeppy, and while it was hard if Skeppy didn't truly know who they were, Bad's presence always kept him calm, and Skeppy only really clung to and spoke to them when it was Puffy, Sam or Sapnap.

Quackity had stopped by once, but Skeppy didn't say a word to him the whole visit. It was unsettling, but Quackity found his footing in silence, telling stupid jokes and stories to see the corner of Skeppy's lips quirk up during each dumb joke or goofy line in a story. It was a relief for Bad to see.

It was a rough recovery, and it'd go on for such a long time. But Bad would hold out as long as it took, peppering kisses to Skeppy's face and promising love and safety and loyalty until he'd see that pretty smile again.

And when he began to lose some hope, to worry maybe nothing would get better from the damage done, they had gone on a nice long walk through the SMP.

Bad had softly asked what he could do, how he could perhaps make things better for Skeppy or lessen the pain, what he could do to see that smile and hear that laugh he knew, what could he do to make his husband less _afraid_ each day.

In response, Skeppy reached down, twined their fingers together as they walked past Church Prime and when Bad's gaze met his, the diamond boy looked back, offered him a shaky grin. "We'll be okay," Skeppy murmured, squeezing Bad's hand tightly for a moment.

"╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ᓭ𝙹 ᒲ⚍ᓵ⍑, ᒲ|| ↸ᒷᒲ𝙹リ...."

Bad couldn't help but smile, pressing a soft kiss to the back of Skeppy's hand.

"╎ ꖎ𝙹⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ℸ ̣ 𝙹𝙹, ᒲ|| ↸╎ᔑᒲ𝙹リ↸."


	2. Under my skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I can feel you laughing under my skin  
> And the happy palpitations are making me grin"
> 
> (Pt. 1?)

The first few days were the hardest to deal with.

Their bond brought them together, fused their souls into one; Bad was immortal so long as Skeppy survived and while this put the demon at risk, turning Skeppy into the most obvious weak spot, they were content with it.

But the first few days were _hard_ because when they bonded, when they allowed their souls to twine like that, Skeppy could feel it in his chest.

It scared Bad, when it was over and they were twined together, and Skeppy had grabbed his chest, gasped as his weight fell into Bad for a moment. The demon panicked, holding his friend close and fussing over him until Skeppy had laughed against him, still clutching his chest as he swore, "I'm okay, I'm okay, Bad, calm down..."

"S'geppy, what happened?"

The smaller man took a deep breath for a moment, then laughed again, taking one of Bad's claws hands and pressing it to his chest. The demon went quiet, brows furrowing before he gasped as Skeppy uttered, "I can feel it, Bad. All three of them."

"Oh my goodness..."

"Bad, I can feel your hearts beating _with_ mine."

Bad pressed his face against Skeppy's hair, a low purr starting to rumble in his chest. The sound soothed his friend as the demon allowed him to lean on him a while longer, calming down and getting used to the extra, soft _thumps_ in his chest.

And the first few days were rough, because Bad realized he could feel the extra heartbeat too and every once in a while, they'd be knocked off their feet by the extra beats, Skeppy especially. Bad could cope with a single extra, but Skeppy had two. Sometimes they would race in his chest and physically - and mentally - knock Skeppy on his ass. Sometimes Bad would start giggling his head off when the two spent time together, jokes tossed back and forth and the extra beats as the demon laughed brought a smile to Skeppy's face and a hand to rest over his chest.

But one day, it changed. The egg was discovered, Bad grew to love it more and more, and the day Skeppy confronted him, his extra heartbeats stuttered in his chest and he'd never been more glad for Puffy's stupid therapy and the beds she placed for them to sit on.

If he'd been standing, he'd have surely hit the ground. Bad was on his feet in seconds, worriedly hovering as Puffy's hand rested on Skeppy's shoulder, watching the diamond boy clutch his shirt over his heart as he rode out the hard thumps that made it hard to breathe for a few minutes.

"Breathe, Skeppy, breathe," Puffy said and, though he hated it, he felt more comfort from her gentle touches and reassurances than the demon visibly blanking on how to help his own soulmate.

And when Skeppy loudly demanded, " _Me, or the egg?_ " his hearts stuttered again, causing a stumble but he kept his footing, kept glaring at Bad and refusing any touches or soothing words the demon used to use to calm him down. He knew he was prone to dramatics and tantrums, prone to let his emotions run him when he makes decisions or says anything, and over the years, Bad had become adept at calming him, at pressing clawed fingers gently against his back or scratching softly through his hair, soft tones and gentle kisses soothing him back down from whatever got to him so badly.

He wouldn't be calmed.

Not this time.

And when Skeppy was drawn into the egg in his attempt to protect Bad despite the pain the demon put him through, Bad was brought down by a considerably slowed third heartbeat in his chest. He spent the entire night _pleading_ with Ant and Puffy to help him free Skeppy.

The answer was a 'no' every single time and Bad impatiently waited til morning for them to plan and free the boy.

The demon still went and freed his soulmate by himself, nausea twisting in his gut to see the diamond speckled skin tinted red, the diamonds stained the same color as his other half stared at him blankly, barely responding to a word Bad said.

No matter what the egg whispered in his ears, what it asked of him or demanded he do, his focus was on his best friend. His tired looking best friend, crimson vines clinging to his dyed red hoodie, curling around his arms and neck as though it wanted more than just a corrupted diamond.

When Bad nervously asked who his best friend was, the diamond looked him over, raised an eyebrow and simply said, "Technoblade."

Puffy had to console Bad for quite a while, holding onto the much, much larger demon in the small stone and dirt hovel Skeppy decided to make their new home as the demon sobbed into her shirt, plead for his best friend to return to them.

It took a number of bad decisions to get his best friend back, sacrificing himself to bring back the other. Sam and Puffy took him to the church, helping to cure the corruption that took over and took their friend from them for so long and when Skeppy opened his eyes, took a breath and truly _looked_ at them for the first time, he looked _pained_.

Puffy asked what was wrong and Sam had wrapped his arms around the younger man as Skeppy leaned into the creeper, shivering when a hand rested over his chest.

He sounded strained. He sounded _scared_.

"I can't feel him," He whispered, watching Puffy and Sam blanch at the information.

"I can't feel Bad."


	3. Stop the peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You hate each other and you love yourselves  
> It might be heaven and it might be hell"  
> Skeppy traded Spirit for Cat.  
> (A request! I watched the video and kept it v close to how it went c: )

He didn't mean to find himself in this situation. The longer it went on, the more stressed he felt himself become. Give the leather to Tommy and Tubbo like they wanted or be hunted down for it despite it's presence in his enderchest (he still felt a few phantom pains of the arrow in his chest throughout the day), or give the leather to Dream because the masked man _was_ the rightful owner after all and for the love of _Gods_ , the leather came from Dream's _dead horse_. Didn't he deserve it back?

But...

It could be a way to get the things he needed - leverage to get what he needed for himself and Bad.

Maybe it was a mistake to taunt and tease the boys, when another arrow found itself in his chest, but when they admitted wanting the leather for leverage of their own to get the discs, Skeppy laughed outright in their faces. At least _he_ wanted to do the moral thing of returning it to it's rightful owner. Or, at least that was his _first_ thought. Dream would understand wanting leverage. Any frustration or fear faltered in the face of two children with weapons and the boy, diamonds encrusted along his skin and a scowl on his face, pointed to the three doors. "Get out," He told them.

He was slain in his own house once more and the usual nausea and phantom pains followed. He was _not_ happy. Over the communicator call, he could hear the boys cheering and laughing at him, but when a certain masked man typed in chat, their cheers and jeers faltered as Skeppy hummed a content, "Ah," and listened to their audible panic. "Have you guys read the- read the chat?"

"Yeah- yeah, we have," Tubbo agreed. "A tiny bit," as did Tommy, the two sounding... A little _less_ than confident now that the real danger had joined their scuffle. "Oh, aw, this is _cute_ ," Skeppy cooed. 

Left the voice chat pretty easily to talk to the man himself instead.

"Yo! Dream!" He greeted happily, but that happiness faltered as he pouted at nothing, strolled along the SMP as he made conversation. "I don't like them." "You don't like them?" Maybe he could use this, turn their stupid thing about leverage and power against them. Who better to start with? "No! And I really _would_ appreciate it if you _would_ kill- mm..." Maybe he shouldn't finish that...

"You give me the leather."

"Listen, listen, listen... Just let me say this. You remember... Everything we talked about? A couple days ago? Where I was like, _wow that was uncalled for, why'd you go to war with them? That was stupid. They didn't even do anything wrong_. I take _everything_ I said back."

What a conversation they had.

It quickly turned from voiced disdain for these violent, easily enraged children to a very real trade.

Dream stood in Skeppy's house, intimidating as ever decked out in full netherite with a shield on one arm, and here he was bartering for leather from a somewhat shorter human decked out in just ducky pjs, holding cobblestone as the younger man tried to fix his house. The things people would do, the lengths they'd go, just to have a little bit of power. But, Skeppy thought as they chatted, Dream wasn't _bad_ company. He remembered the training, the jokes and teases passed back and forth, being pretend bullied because of the thing he had for Bad only for the demon himself to join their voice chat and complain about his diamond choosing time with Dream over him. _Jealousy is a disease_ , Dream had managed to say when he was finished laughing.

"I will give you the leather... For the discs." "No! That's- I can't do that."

"Why?" He whined, much like a little child not getting his way. But hey, it was genuinely part of his charm. "I hate them!"

"Skeppy, that's too valuable." His head tilted, brows furrowing. "More valuable than your horse?" If Skeppy were honest, had Dream come to him with an old pastel yellow dog collar in hand with a tag that read _Frosty_ on it, he'd have gladly given him the leather. But, perhaps Dream didn't view animals as that important? He knows he still misses all his three dogs he lost over the years, knows the utter loathing he feels for creepers because they had partly been the cause of such devastation. Sometimes, he wonders if Bad still remembers Roberto, or if he would mourn Skeppy's dogs and their matching parrots together if he asked. But at the risk of a firm _no_ or a rejection for something as important to the human as that... Well, best not ask in the first place, right?

"Huh. Wow, shows how much you care." Now Skeppy was pulling Dream's leg, teasing the man as he hopped around his house, trying to fix it up and make it look nice. Maybe Bad would even live in it with him when he finished it. "Equally valuable!" Dream laughed, and Skeppy found himself giggling along as he agreed. "So then if it's _equal_ , it's an equal trade then," the ravenette pointed out. "I'll trade you right now."

The man's head tilted, an unseen smile quirking at scarred lips as a hand rested on his hip, eyeing the other. There was such a power imbalance between the two, but their bantering and trades put them on equal ground that moment. Or, perhaps it was that if Dream threatened him or was anything less than a friend, Skeppy would have _never_ gone for it. He'd have kept Spirit's remains hidden away, and never given Dream the power to hold over the boys even further than he already did with a hidden rank of a _God_. "I will trade you _one_ of the discs."

"No, no, no, no."

"It has to be. It's not fair trade for both."

It took a bit for any agreement to be reached, but that was fine.

It'd have been even better if Skeppy hadn't almost immediately had a sword jammed into his gut by Tubbo the moment he left his home as Tommy typed in the communicator, furious that Dream was so willing to trade discs for his horse's remains. Skeppy tried to not let himself be too bothered by it, however, respawning at Dream's home and bantering with laughter as Dream fought back against the boys like it was nothing. "Bitch boy," the diamond man grumbled about Tommy, causing even more laughter to burst from Dream before he snorted, smiled fondly. "Sorry about all the language," he then said. "Bad would _not_ be proud of me today."

"Tommy came back," Dream told him, so they swapped their channels, grinning mutually as Tommy joined them. "Have you given away the discs?" He demanded of dream, but Skeppy just looked up at him from below the bridge, grin in place as he raised a sweater pawed hand and waved. "Hey, Tommy! Hey buddy!" He greeted, though whether it was condescending or amicable was anyone's guess. "Aw, Tommy, are you _mad_? Tommy, are you okay?"

He was slain by Tommy.

Skeppy climbed up into the tree above them this time, sitting himself comfortably in the branches as he watched Tommy and the masked man discuss it. Finally, Dream looked up to him. "Skeppy, I need the leather."

The diamond man gave a shrug, offering an easy smile right back. "I need the disc."

He had to wonder what they had over Dream that made him barter giving the disc to the boys, but it was still beyond funny, watching the four fight over him and who he'd make his trade with. There could only be one technical winner, he supposed. Whoever had the better deal and, with the memories of swords and arrows lodged into his skin, tearing down life after life and forcing him to check the lines on his wrist every time he woke up again, he was most definitely leaning toward Dream.

At least Dream hadn't slaughtered him _multiple times_ during their discussion.

"Tommy, I have to do it. _One_ disc," Dream attempted a compromise, but Tubbo put a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "I really don't think you should..."

"I need the leather! I- Y- Okay, then if _you_ get the leather from him, then that's fine, I won't do it. Otherwise..."

In the distractions, Tubbo looked up, gave a smile that was returned from Skeppy as he said, "Hey, Skeppy, I'll give you netherite for your leather."

The baby noises made right back in attempt to mock him just had Tubbo scoffing and another death under his belt in the short time he'd been on the Dream SMP.

_Skeppy was fatally struck down by Tubbo_ with [Slayer of BeachBoys]_

The arguments started right back up, angrier and more frustrated than ever, but Skeppy just followed them along the path, laughing as they made jokes and tried to barter for it only for he and Tommy _both_ to die.

He was teased for his duck onesie too, but Skeppy was just laughing as they tried to bother him. He truly had thick skin, and it didn't bother him at all. He only laughed more when the boys brought in Quackity to try and convince him, and something about that...

"Skeppy."

"You really thought _that_ was gonna work? You thought just, addding Quackity- You thought him just telling me random things was gonna convince me? What do you think I am, Tommy? You never learn!"

Looking back, remembering his own bond with his best friend and the three heartbeats in his chest, maybe he shouldn't have brought up the other's best friend as well, but... When had a slight sense of right or wrong stopped the diamond man? "And Tubbo's going to realize that eventually, and he's gonna leave you."

"No he's not."

"He's gonna realize that, and he's gonna leave you. BadBoyHalo? He's _loyal,_ and he's _my_ friend, and I am loyal to _him_. We are good friends to _each other_. You. Are. A. _Dick_."

He'd only just agreed to give the boys the leather at long last when he read the messages in chat, and... Well, maybe he shouldn't have been trading with the children to begin with.

_Tommyinnit: Dream he won't give the leather_

_Skeppy: ????_

_Tommyinnit: we tried our best_

_Tubbo_: Kill him_

_Skeppy: ????_

_Tubbo_: WE did_

Oh, he was _not_ happy. Skeppy wanted _two_ things, and that was Bad to come back, and for him to get to work on he and maybe Bad's house. But, of course, right as he started, he'd been interrupted by ringing once again.

"Hey, Dream."

"I want the leather."

"I will _give_ you the leather."

"Do you _have_ sympathy? It's my _dead horse_."

"No, I know, I realize that-"

"My horse _died_ , and then Sapnap took the leather from the ground-"

The boys interrupted, infuriating the diamond boy who grit his teeth, anger beginning to truly boil at his core as he hissed, "Leave, _leave_!" before he was trotting back to his house upon hearing Dream was there. He truly just wanted to fix his house, to make it look _nice_ , but he couldn't even hold that conversation with Dream before the just audible whispers of the two boys were interrupting him.

"Question one: Why aren't you as passionate..."

Another interruption that was silenced by Dream walking outside, netherite sword in hand.

Skeppy cleared his throat.

"Question one was why aren't you as passionate about your dogs as you are your horse? Like... When we were talking that day, you didn't even care that I killed that dog in front of your face."

No one ever said he was completely innocent, and you certainly wouldn't catch _him_ saying it either.

"I don't know if you know it, but today, I killed Charles."

"You killed _Charles_?!"

"Because the dogs don't do anything _for me_."

He shook it off quickly. That wasn't important right now. That'd be a discussion for later, and he couldn't help but wonder if Dream just... Didn't care for his pets.

It was a sickening thought, one he hoped wasn't true.

"Second question I had was, I'll _give_ you the leather because it's rightfully _yours_ , but why do you _care_?"

"There's been wars on this server over these discs. _Multiple_ wars."

"Oh, you want _control_ over them."

Just like he did, so he really wasn't one to talk. But to be fair, they'd killed him multiple times. Skeppy shifted foot to foot, sitting on his furnace as he began kicking his feet calmly and checked the lines on his wrist, relieved to still see all three in place. "I want control over them, yes."

"Huh."

"But I am willing to trade you _one_."

"Well, how many discs _are_ there?"

"Two."

That... Made sense.

"You have fifty percent of the discs. But there's no point in burning it, cause if you burn them, you lose everything; you lose all power."

Where did Dream learn this?

He heard the man was Puffy's kid, but... From the few chats with the sheep he'd had, and these conversations with Dream, he couldn't see how that was. They were _nothing_ alike.

She was small, incredibly sweet, so considerate even when she was wielding a flint and steel with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Dream was tall, strong, taught Skeppy almost everything he knew about fighting and bartered so much for power on his own SMP.

He didn't understand.

It was a far more friendly debate than he'd had all day, and when the time came for the trade, Dream was very prompt about it, and it went easy. The two quickly traded items with friendly smiles on their faces and Skeppy gave him a friendly pat on the arm and condolences for his horse spoken under his breath before the masked man left, leaving Skeppy with the children.

"Who's side are you on?" Tommy asked as he was turning to leave. The diamond man didn't even hesitate to answer, glancing the way Dream had gone before he looked back at the two with a grin full of mischief.

"Oh, Dream's, definitely."


	4. Witchery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> very short but sweet chapter! Minecraft modpack Natural Magic au!

"Master!"

Ranboo had to try so hard to stifle laughter, something Tubbo did not do as they watched the werefox's expression go from calm - happy, even, as he chatted with his friends, to absolutely _disgusted_ as arms wrapped around his waist, a loud purr leaving the cat hybrid as the werefox scowled, growled low in his throat.

"I almost lost you, Master, you sure are an adventurer!" H laughed, purring away as he held onto the witch.

"Aw, does Fundy want more catmaid H time?" Ranboo asked, watching Fundy's ears pin down to his head. "No-" The fox started, but H perked up, gasping in visible _delight_. "Ooh, yes! I bet master would _love_ even more time with me!"

" _More?_ " Ranboo sounded intrigued, grinned. Fundy had _paled_ , and H nuzzled his head into the fox's neck as his tail flicked, purring only increasing. "Oh, master _loves_ cuddling-"

"H, I will fucking find a way to _destroy_ you."

"Ooh, sounds like fun!"

" _Shut the **fuck** up_."


	5. Flux

Before they were left for the day, the demon had firmly set _rules_ to the duck hybrid as his best friend ignored him and strolled into the quartz and blackstone tower he and the demon made together for his magics and supplies.

 _No messing with unlabeled bottles_. Easy enough. Skeppy more often handled the spells and the bottles of essentia, whereas Quackity helped build the structures they needed and together, both dealt with the side effects.

 _Do not cast spells or perform rituals on each other_. Easy enough as well. It was a firm rule from not just everyone around them, but each other the moment they agreed to be partners and watch each other's backs.

_Call me if something goes wrong._

_What counts as wrong?_ Quackity had asked, brows furrowed, and Bad glanced back the way Skeppy had gone. "If he gets sick, if _you_ get sick. If you summon something you didn't mean to. If a spell just... Goes wrong or a fire starts or something to that effect."

Bad had left after he'd secretly put Quackity in charge of his best friend. He'd had his own errands to deal with, so he couldn't stay with them and watch over them himself.

So, now with a sense of unease from Bad's words, Quackity went up the tower and found Skeppy fussing about with his supplies.

"What do you need?" He asked after a moment, and the older boy didn't even glance back at his partner. "Could've sworn we had more _vitium_ and _fames_ than this... Did you move any of the jars yesterday?" He finally looked back to see the duck shaking his head, trotting over to help him go over the jars.

Jar after jar, their supplies were beginning to dwindle and the older boy scoffed. "Time for another spell, I suppose."

"Cool," Quackity snorted, stealing the book out of Skeppy's hands to flip through the pages, leaving him to scowl and grab the backup book. "I'll get to work on the infusion altar then. Don't hurt yourself, buddy!" He glanced back to see Skeppy visibly fighting a smile as he shook his head, stepping over to the crucible.

It wasn't what he needed, but it always helped to get more shards; something needed in the creation of _most_ things.

But Skeppy hadn't been at it long until Quackity heard a hissed, "Mother _fucker_ ," and a dull _thump_. It was often enough that Skeppy knocked something over or stomped his feet in frustration that Quackity didn't look over at first, simply chattering away, "Fuck it up again? Do you have any stone or dirt to get rid of the flux, or do you want me to do it?"

Silence.

"... Skeppy?"

_Silence._

The duck hybrid finally glanced over, book slipping from his fingers to see Skeppy kneeling over terrifyingly close to the fire under their crucible, his arms tight around his stomach and tense beyond belief.

The puddle of thick purple below him told Quackity exactly what happened and he was quick to stow his book and blocks away, darting to his partner's side as the older man heaved, the purple liquid dripping from his lips.

"Shit, shit, _shit_ ," the duck swore as he dragged the other away from the flames, letting him cough it out. "What happened? Did you touch the flux?"

Skeppy could barely get out words for a moment, trembling arms gripping himself around the waist that much tighter like more pressure would ease the pain twisting violently inside his gut. "F.. Flu..."

Oh, fuck. Not again.

_Call me if something goes wrong._

_What counts as wrong?_

_If he gets sick._

"Should I call Bad?" Quackity asked, already knowing his own answer even as Skeppy weakly shook his head.

He pulled his communicator out.

_Quackity whispered to BadBoyHalo: he's sick_

There was no response, but Quackity knew he wouldn't have to worry about that. Bad would see the message, panic and rush home before anyone knew what hit them.

For the moment, he dragged Skeppy away from the crucible despite the man's groaning and weak tugs away. "No, let me _be_ ," the cursed human whined, but the duck was relentless, pulling him up to and leaning him against an opposite wall to the pile of flux. A towel was dropped into Skeppy's lap before Quackity stepped away.

  
"Wipe your face off, clean up, toss the towel when you're done," He stated simply, watching the other slowly pick up the cloth. "I'll go clean up the flux."

Time seemed to go by pretty quickly as Quackity used dirt, cleaninh up the mess of flux all over the floor and tended to his partner, helping clean up his face before he was tossing the cloth off to the side with a note to _burn_ it later.

And sure enough, as Quackity finished cleaning, he heard Bad open the door, the tall demon's feet quickly bringing him up to the top level with the Arcane levitator. "Quacky!" Bad called. "Where's-.."

His voice trailed off as the duck hybrid moved away, letting the demon bolt over to his best friend and fuss over the smaller man. "Oh, S'geppy, why didn't you tell me you weren't better yet?"

Skeppy simply whined, trying to hide his face and when that clearly didn't work with Bad tugging his hands away, he threw his arms around the demon, burying his burning face in the other's neck. "Baaad..." The young man whined as the demon lifted him carefully, stood up with Skeppy in his arms like the younger weighed nothing. "Yes, S'geppy?"

"I don't feel good..."

"I know, Skep, I know... I'm gonna take you home, it'll be okay.."

He turned to leave, but stopped, gaze drifting to Quackity and, right as the duck hybrid figured they'd leave without a word, Bad smiled, said, "Thank you, Quackity. You can head home now."

Skeppy, for his part, popped his head over Bad's shoulder, pale and visibly in pain as he waved. "Byeee Quacky..."

Quackity waited until the two were gone before he finished putting things away and cleaning up. With a job somewhat well done and a day without incident on his part, he left, headed home early to surprise his fiances.

"I'm home!" He called as he opened the door to their home.

The nether demon Sapnap spotted him first, and Quackity had ample time to brace himself before he had an armful of nether demon, laughing as Sapnap held him tightly, tail flicking this way and that in delight.

"Welcome home! Call it quits early?"

The new voice had Sapnap purring and Quackity grinning as Karl strolled into the room, more gently winding arms around both of them in a big hug. "No, Skeppy got sick," The duck hybrid hummed, easing their worries with, "It's cool, though. I cleaned him up and Bad took him home, he'll probably be out for a few days though."

More sympathetic noises left them, Sapnap uttering, "I should go visit Skeppy and dad tonight or tomorrow, see how he's doing... Are you two-"

"Always," Karl interrupted, causing a grin to spread across their faces as their arms tightened around Quackity, the duck's wings gently wrapping around them both.

All was well for the time being. They'd go see Skeppy tomorrow, he'd be feeling a hundred times better, and everything would be okay.


	6. Whispers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe he was paranoid.
> 
> Maybe not.

_Something is watching you._

_Maybe it is time to stop._

His breathing picked up, unnoticeable unless someone truly paid attention to him.

It took a moment for him to calm his breathing and focus on the message in his communicator. Purple text with what felt like a threat. It wasn't the first time, and he had to take a moment to look over the group, to judge his chances of slipping away.

If someone spoke to him, they'd notice a lack of response, but it was blissfully quiet toward him; they were distracted in their projects and conversations about important things.

He couldn't lean against his best friend and pretend to fall asleep, Bad would carry him home or at least notice if Skeppy sat up and tried to sneak away.

Quackity's eyes were on him, suspicion reading in his body language and expression, so Skeppy forced a weak smile, put hands over his ears and quelled it.

The easiness in overwhelming the diamond boy made it a perfect excuse.

Except perhaps luck wasn't on his side, because Quackity much more easily snuck away from conversation with Bad, leaving the demon to carry it on with Puffy as the duck hybrid made his way to the diamond boy's side.

"Need a break?"

"Uh... Ye- yeah, I, uh..."

"What happened?"

" _Um_..." Shit.

Skeppy didn't answer and, in response to the silence after stammering, Quackity wrapped an arm around his neck, sparing the others a glance before he was leading the older away a few steps. "What was it, Skep? Flux? Warp? Something else?"

The diamond boy hesitated, swallowing and looking around, paranoia worsening in the quiet the followed Quackity's words before he finally answered. "Warp. It's... Oh, _fuck_..."

"What?"

A shaking hand held up his communicator, showing the purple tinted italicized message that shot such paranoia and panic through the young thaumaturgist.

"Oh... _Fuck_."

"Right?"

"We gotta tell them."

"Yeah- wait, what? No- _Quack_ -!"

"Bad! Puffy!"

The two looked over, and Skeppy cursed any interactions he's ever had with Quackity.

He cursed their partnership, he cursed their friendship, he cursed every moment of bonding, he cursed every single interaction that led to Quackity knowing Skeppy well enough to know to tighten his hold around his neck _right_ as Skeppy began squirming, trying to push away.

Nausea was rising quickly as eyes landed on him and as quickly as the sheep and demon ceased conversation and ran to their sides, a puddle of purple was formed at their feet, Quackity losing grip as Skeppy hit his knees coughing.

He gasped for breath as his communicator went off in Quackity's hands, horrifying all three of them as Bad crouched down to lift Skeppy up, wings shielding him from the now too bright sun rays.

_The light becomes overwhelmingly bright and burns your skin._

He could hear conversation around him as he choked on the flux, relieved when Bad stopped a moment to let him empty the magenta liquid into the grass again before they were moving again. They ran inside Bad and Skeppy's shared home and he was situated on the couch, groaning miserably at the brightness of the quartz and the sun rays through the window.

"What happened?" Puffy asked, gasping when Quackity showed her and Bad the messages on Skeppy's communicator.

_Your stomach suddenly gurgles very strangely._

The three looked up in time to see Skeppy lurch up, more flux falling from his lips and into his lap as he heaved, tears starting to flow down his face as his shaking hands pressed into his eyes.

"Oh, S'geppy," Bad cooed. Puffy was already on it, rushing to his side and rubbing his back. "There you go, buddy, get it all out," she murmured, glanced over at the two. "Well? Go get help! Make tea, call Sam, hell, call Sap and Karl if you think they can help!"

They nodded and the two were off. Bad messaged Sam while he put together tea and soup, Quackity left to run home and get his fiancé's to help with the situation.

"Dad!"

It had been _years_ since Sapnap had called Skeppy anything short of his name, only ever really viewing Bad as his father whereas Skeppy's just his dad's boyfriend and best friend.

But there he was, gasping the word and rushing to the other's side as Skeppy shivered under the warmest blanket they owned, curled up on the couch and now cleaned up thanks to Bad. "Hey, Sappy..." He greeted softly, gave a little grin as Karl and Quackity stayed back, nervously holding hands. Deciding to let Skeppy and Sapnap talk, they walked into the kitchen, finding Puffy, Bad and Sam working on soup for Skeppy and dinner for the rest of them.

"Hi, Sam!" Karl greeted with a smile, getting a grin and a calm greeting in return from the creeper. "Hello, Karl," he greeted before picking something up off the counter. Turning to the two, he presented them with a tray that had a couple cups of tea on it. "Would you mind taking this out to Skeppy? There's some cups on there for you three as well."

"No problem!" Quackity nodded, carefully taking the tray.

Stepping back into the living room revealed Sapnap on the couch with Skeppy. Their blaze hybrid fiancé was curled up against Skeppy, the diamond man's arms around him. "Sap, be careful," Quackity began, but Skeppy quieted him with one open eye and a kind smile.

"Don't worry, 's not the contagion... I would never get Sappy sick on purpose."

Sapnap snorted, leaning back comfortably into his other father. "On accident, though..."

"Oh, on accident, you'd be sick as a _dog_ right now pukin' your guts out onto the couch like I was."

"Dude, gross."

" _Dude_ , your dad had to help me change clothes cause I *threw up* on mine-"

"Dad, stop!"

Bad peered into the room, a raised eyebrow and a fond smile. "Behave!" the demon called before he disappeared again.

Sighing dramatically, Skeppy leaned his head on Sapnap's shoulder, arms tightening around Sapnap briefly before releasing him.

"Go cuddle your boyfriends, Sappy," he uttered fondly.

Sapnap eyed Skeppy a moment before he got up, taking a seat on the other couch to drape himself over Karl and Quackity's laps as Quackity carefully set down the tray. Karl reached over to carefully pass Skeppy's cup to him, smiling as the diamond man nodded his appreciation before they were sipping tea and relaxing. Quackity took the quiet moment to kind of observe the room as Sapnap asked his dad questions, chattered away about their days. There were of course cabinets, one with much more fragile dishes behind the glass, one with little knick knacks. From what he could see, there were so many clay figurines along the shelves and the empty spaces in the cabinets.

Painted little figurines of the folks of the SMP.

Bad, tall even as a clay figurine, Skeppy smaller than him sat in front. Sam standing behind George, Dream at his side with Puffy beside him. And then, something Quackity hadn't noticed until just that moment; a figurine of Karl, and a figurine of Quackity holding hands, with the Sapnap figurine sat in front of them, leaned back against them with their hands against his shoulders.

"Hey," Quackity spoke up, causing the others to quiet down as curious gazes went to him. Raising a hand, the duck hybrid pointed to the figurines. Of course they weren't _perfect_ figurines, but they were well done enough for him to ask; "Who made those? I didn't see them last time I was here."

"You haven't been here for months," Skeppy pointed out. "You've been at the tower, not _here_."

"So who made them?"

"Bad and Puffy."

Blinking, Quackity furrowed his brows and asked, "Really?" as the others came into the room and a giggly voice answered him. "Yeah, Bad and I have been making them over the years."

He was only more lost, hesitating and watching Bad situate himself and Skeppy together, letting his husband lean against him as he began feeding the younger the soup, Sam and Puffy setting the bowl and serving platter of food on the coffee table so they could stay there and relax for a while. Sam gave everyone their plates and utensils and they all relaxed into the couches as they got their food, ate quietly, and in the middle of the peace and quiet, Quackity asked, "When did you add Karl and I? To the... To the figurines."

Karl and Sapnap tilted their heads, and this time, the demon was the one to answer. "Two months ago."

Two months? That was...

That was when- "When we got engaged?" Karl asked the very thing Quackity was wondering, and Bad nodded, offering a smile that would melt anyone with a heart. "Yes. You two make our SappyNappy happy, and he's talked so much about wanting to spend his life with you both."

As flustered as Sap was when they looked at him, he still beamed at them, happy as ever and unwilling to hide his equal embarrassment and love from his fiancé's. "Yeah. Bad called me when he and Puffy were making them, asked for pictures of you two for reference." Now Karl perked up, a beaming smile on his face as a hand rested on Sapnap's arm. "When you asked us to take a group picture? Said something about wanting it to be on our nightstand?" Sapnap nodded, pressing a kiss to both their cheeks. "Yeah. I gave it to them and they made the figurines."

"As far as we're concerned," Skeppy cut in, setting his bowl of soup down to rest his head in Bad's lap as his eyes closed. "You and Karl have been family the day you asked _Sappy_ over there to date you both. Don't expect either of you to call us 'dad' like he does, but.. Yeah. You're family now. Have been for _more_ than two months."

Oh, that was so sweet... Bad viewed them as family, _Skeppy_ viewed them as family, obviously _Sapnap_ did as well. They joined the Dream SMP with little to no family and there they were with one only growing bigger and bigger.

"Is that why you don't let me help in rituals?" Quackity asked, breaking the quiet spell of peace and love, and clearly worrying the others. Before Karl or Sapnap could hush him, however, the diamond man answered, "Took you long enough to catch on, _Quacky_." He reached a fist out, grinned tiredly as Quackity bumped it with his own with a huffed laugh. "I already have warp. I know what it's like, I know what _flux flu_ is like. I know..." His voice was quieting, and Bad's gentle fingers in his hair had him push through despite refusal to open his eyes. "I know what it's like, to see Bad's face when I get sick. I know how worried Sappy gets even if he won't _say_ it."

Oh.

"And I know that every time you head to the tower with me, Sap and Karl wait around hoping you'll come home safe and sound because we all know Thaumaturgy is one of the most dangerous forms of alchemy or magic."

"Hey, that's not-" Sapnap began, aiming to protest the first statement before Quackity's head fell against his shoulder, his free arm dragging Karl down with him until they set their plates down, letting the duck cuddle up to them both. "I love you guys," He sighed fondly, hearing Skeppy's quiet chuckle and Bad's barely audible words in his ear. "Alright, Bad," He uttered back, "I know you worry, it's okay."

"S'geppy..."

Skeppy slowly sat up with his help and the moment he was up, Bad's face was held so gently in his hands, their foreheads pressing together as Bad purred softly. "I know, my love, but... It's okay. I'll be okay. We'll do this together."

The demon nodded, linking their pinkies together and dragging up the diamond crusted man's hand to press a kiss to his knuckles.

" _ᔑꖎ∴ᔑ||ᓭ ℸ ̣ 𝙹⊣ᒷℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷, リᒷ⍊ᒷ∷ ᔑ!¡ᔑ∷ℸ ̣..._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Translation:  
> ᔑꖎ∴ᔑ||ᓭ ℸ ̣ 𝙹⊣ᒷℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷, リᒷ⍊ᒷ∷ ᔑ!¡ᔑ∷ℸ ̣ -> Always together, never apart)


	7. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps he should've told them sooner.
> 
> (not beta read. also includes angst!)

He never planned for this.

Truthfully, Skeppy had meant to tell him ages ago.

Day by day, one more secret after another hidden away deep beneath the dirt under their feet as the demon and the cursed human grew closer and closer.

They'd been friends for years, started as unfortunate acquaintances that grew to be good friends and from there, best friends. They told each other damn near everything, from admitting to misplacing something to defaulting to each other when things go wrong. Skeppy was nervous when the relationship started and it took the two a while to find their footing in it, to find and set their own boundaries, and it only made it harder to tell him any of his _real_ secrets when he was blessed with the ability to fall asleep in Bad's arms, to often wake up to his sleepy, happy face as they cuddled the day away. Months into it, Skeppy had been planning on telling him, planning on how he would and when he would, even _why_ he would.

The very same night Skeppy was psyching himself up to confess his secrets to Bad, was so ready to admit to his past and lay everything on the table, the demon had suddenly given him a ring, a smile and a load of promises he swore on his very essence he'd keep and any words Skeppy had died on his tongue.

They both held each other and cried out their love and joy into each other's shoulders, matching rings on their fingers.

They adjusted to married life as easily as breathing; waking up together, falling asleep together. Cooking dinner and baking desserts, building together or spending lazy days curled up in each other's arms under blankets. Of course they had fights - sometimes it became quite _explosive_ , loud shouts rattling quartz walls before one or the other stormed out to spend the night elsewhere. Mornings after fights were often full of tight hugs, tears and whispered apologies, reassurances that they were married and still together because they both truly _wanted_ to be. They _always_ made up after fights.

They even raised Sapnap together when the demon brought the abandoned baby home from the nether, and Skeppy had held his husband when the man sobbed into his chest after Sapnap babbled out his first real word, " _Dad!_ "

He'd been encouraged to say _Bad_.

It stuck, and Sapnap called Bad 'dad' any time he was addressing the man. Skeppy got some babbled version of his name, but he didn't mind. He'd never admit it, but he cried into Bad's shoulder too when Sapnap a few years later called _him_ 'dad'.

And it all still took him a _while_ longer to tell the truth.

Their family were all called home, a frustrated - no, an incredibly _stressed out_ Bad pacing back and forth as Skeppy sat nervously on the couch, a book on the coffee table in front of him.

When the others were sat around - Puffy and Sam near Bad, and Karl, Sapnap and Quackity all in a little pile on the couch beside Skeppy. Even Ant and Red were there, all waiting patiently, all _confused_. "Care to tell them what you told me?"

Skeppy slowly shook his head, hiding his face in his sweater paws when Bad's hardened gaze locked on him. Slowly, Bad lifted the book and Puffy spoke up, confusion painting her tone. "The... _The Idots_? What's that?"

"An _infamous_ group of magic users," Bad explained to them all. "People who used a ritual to achieve immortality, people who have been practicing their magicks since they were almost in diapers. People who are some of the _most powerful_ magic users in their chosen magicks."

Everyone was given a moment to puzzle it out, and it was Sam that first shot a look to Skeppy who wouldn't move his hands, damn near looking like he was trying to make himself smaller in his hoodie in the wake of Bad's visible fury over the lack of information over the many, _many_ years they'd been best friends and then husbands. It was pretty easy, for the creeper hybrid, to piece it together. He'd heard the story - of _course_ he had. Most people had; sometimes it was told as another fantastical story you told little kids to fill their minds with wonder before bed, and sometimes it was a harder life lesson for adults to keep themselves in check lest they end up like the group of five in the story. Something most people figured was just that; a _story_.

Apparently not.

Shows how far a couple of fake names can take you.

"You?" Sam asked, causing everyone's gazes to drift to Skeppy as his hands slid down his face, tired red and blue eyes peering up past his hoodie sleeves as he slowly nodded. "... Yeah... Look, I'm _sorry_ , okay? I forgot!"

" _Skeppy_ ," Bad started slowly, watching the chill that visibly ran through his husband. "You neglected to tell me, your _husband_ , and Sapnap, your _son_ , that you're _immortal_. Or that you're one of the most _powerful_ thaumaturges in existence right now!"

Skeppy could only offer a sheepish grin, "Um... Spifey uh, actually knows more than I do-"

" _Spifey?!_ "

"And... And Zelk. And Finn. And Mega-"

"You're _all_ powerful thaumaturges?!"

"Ye- yeah? Um- The group- okay, okay, you know that _stupid_ group with the dumb fake names! Rose, Elk, Spoofy, Pug and... And _↸╎ᔑ._ Dia."

"Who are they?"

He hesitated, but Bad's narrowing eyes had Skeppy admitting to his family, "Look, don't be mad at me, okay? We hid for our own safety! It was Spifey's idea!" _Safety_? Skeppy was rambling, didn't think twice about his words as the others watched, listened in worry. "People were coming after us, Bad! Trying to _kill us_! They targeted Spifey first and he told us he was gonna _officially_ leave the group so people wouldn't associate him with the rest of us, but they _did_ and they came after us anyway!" Skeppy stood up now, starting to pace about as he waved his hands about, explained his story as Bad moved to the side, watching Skeppy in visible _worry_ as was the rest now. He absolutely should have told them _sooner_ , but wasn't the fact he was telling them _now_ good enough? "We kept having to run to keep safe and finally we just- split up! We agreed it was for the best! Dia, Rose, Elk, Spoofy and Pug can go down in those _stupid fucking books_ like they're supposed to! Skeppy, Finnster, Zelk, Spifey and Vurb can live on and have _lives_ for once _without_ living in fear!"

A hand thumped against his own chest, Skeppy looking at Bad with wild eyes and a firm frown as his hand rested against his chest. " _I_ wanted to live my life, Bad! Vurb summoned you on _accident_ and god, fucking- _I was smitten_! You were _pretty_ and _nice to us_ and you weren't trying to _kill us_ no matter how much I pissed you off!"

The demon quickly drew him close, holding Skeppy tight as fingers twisted into his shirt. Quiet followed before he spoke again, words much softer now, "We aren't as old as you, Bad, I know you've been around a long time... We're not like, all _centuries_ old but... That's it. That's us. Me, Zelk, Spifey, Finn and Vurb. Mega came in later, but he was _never_ part of the group like we were. And... That's for the best. He... He's just twenty, Bad, we wanted to keep him safe - we wanted to keep _everyone_ safe..."

Skeppy leaned back, a little frown on his face as he gazed up at his husband, lifting a hand to gently brush the demon's cheek. " _I_ wanted to keep you and Sappy safe."

"Oh, S'geppy..."

It was a while before any of them calmed, tight hugs and reassurances going around between the group. For the most part, Skeppy held onto Bad and Sapnap, swore he'd tell them more details of his life of thaumaturgy later when it was just them.

And when it was, the three sat on the couch together, two listening as the diamond embedded human rambled about thaumaturgy, flux flu and warp. How many years he'd been at it, the worst rituals he'd ever done (usually with Vurb), the most at risk he'd ever been. But, in spite of all this, Skeppy showed them his marks, managing a bright smile when Sapnap took his free hand and gave it a squeeze and Bad pressed a kiss to the life lines on his wrist.

Maybe the information would change how they interacted, but as Skeppy leaned against Bad with Sapnap's head comfortably in his lap as the three relaxed, he just hoped perhaps any changes would be for the _better_.


	8. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They'd been at it for years, why stop now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Ryla_is_gone for the help and all the incredible suggestions for this au!!!!! c: !!!!!!!!!! I hope you enjoy this chapter! <3

Skeppy started it.

Ask any of the iDots, any of his friends, even _Bad_ , they'll tell you the same answer you don't need to ask.

_Skeppy started it, Skeppy started it, Skeppy started it_

Hell, ask the man _himself_ and he'll admit to it.

It started on a cold, stormy day, the weather and time of day typical to the start of a fantasy book. Zelk had a strange feeling in his gut, insisting maybe they should go out and _find_ their stupid friend before said _stupid friend_ got himself in trouble. They'd only just started receiving the occasional threatening message or letter, demanding the magicians of Invaded give up their titles they supposedly _didn't earn_.

Skeppy didn't have his title as the _Ruler_ of Invaded for _nothing_. He could play whatever trolls and practical jokes on whoever he wanted, he wasn't _unfair_ about the way he ran things in the land. He kept people happy, he called out those who hindered this for any reason, and perhaps this was a reason the iDots so loved and respected their dear Dia.

Vurb insisted he was being paranoid, that Skeppy would be back with their potion resources any minute and the feeling in Zelk's gut would settle and he could finally breathe _easy_.

But just as he finished his assurances, told Zelk to hold off any spells or asking around a bit longer just as the door slammed open, startling everyone.

There stood Skeppy, the diamond encrusted young man absolutely _dripping_ wet and carrying a hybrid about the same size as him, bags hanging off his arms despite the extra weight. "Spifey!" He shouted louder than needed as the four scrambled to action, Finn quickly shutting and locking the door as Zelk took the guy from Skeppy's arms and Vurb ran to get towels. Spifey was already at the kitchen counter, pulling out flasks and flowers. Skeppy was fussy, and as Spifey made potions, Vurb dropped a towel on Skeppy's head and went to dry the other guy's hair and Finn got blankets, it fell on Zelk to drag the younger man away, closer to the doorway to the large room as the deer cat hybrid's fingers pressed into the dark colored towel, carefully starting to dry the other's hair and consistently drag his head back when Skeppy kept leaning around Zelk to look at the man he brought home. "Are you hurt?" Zelk asked, finally catching his attention for real.

Skeppy eyed him, brown meeting gray-blues and, used to the bouts of silence, Zelk simply continued ruffle drying his messy dark hair until Skeppy spoke up, "No. I'm... Fine."

"Spooked."

"Yeah."

Zelk nodded slowly, and when he finished helping Skeppy pat-dry himself after his hair, the younger man threw his arms around the hybrid, face burying into Zelk's fuzzy chest as he returned the hug quickly, squeezing the diamond skinned human _t_ _ight_ for a good few minutes.

Skeppy was a very... _physical_ person. He always had been, ever since he was tiny.

_Even as Zelk retold the story to Bad around the fireplace with the iDots, BadLands and Sapnap, Skeppy's head rested comfortably in the deer cat hybrid's lap, one of his hands holding onto Vurb's as he napped, the most relaxed Bad had seen him in months._

So even when the two walked back into the room to check on them, Zelk let Skeppy hold onto his arm, only tugging or bringing it up under his breath when the nervous boy tightened his hold a little too much and Zelk could feel his arm briefly go numb. They were both relieved for different reasons when Spifey looked at the two, laughed softly, and told them, "Penguin boy over here's gonna be okay," Skeppy was already nodding along, brows furrowed. "He was just unconscious, a little scraped up, but he's okay. So, the story...?" The diamond boy nodded then, getting the four settled on the ground now that the couch was taken up. "There really isn't like... A story. I almost _tripped_ over him coming home from the merchants. He was _out_ , absolutely _soaked_. I couldn't just... Leave him there, you know? I just- I couldn't..."

They talked a while longer, discussing the situation, coming to agreements and by the time the penguin hybrid woke up, there was a free room in the large group house with his name on it if he wanted it.

He was uneasy, slow in his explanation; that he had nowhere to go, that any practice of witchery disappointed or upset those in his old village and infuriated his own family. So he'd come there, tried to find his way to a place said to be so much more accepting.

And oh, was he accepted by none other than the _ruler_ of the very lands he stood on. Neon was still a bit uneasy with these people, nervous around the whole group, but they took _care_ of him while he was there. They fed him, they bought him clothes while asking nothing more than for him to take care of himself and feel _safe_ in return, though the last part went wildly unspoken. But he _did_ feel safe; the iDots were a family, and upon finding someone abandoned and alone, ostracized for the magic running through his veins, they brought him in with open arms and smiles.

So began a habit of _expanding_ their family.

And Skeppy started it.


	9. Extras

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> two shorts that were too short for their own chapters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i told Ryla_is_gone id write one more soft chapter before the angst. ive v clearly lied

1\. Secretly Soft?

"Master!"

Ranboo had to try so hard to stifle laughter, something Tubbo did not do as they watched the werefox's expression go from calm - happy, even, as he chatted with his friends, to absolutely _disgusted_ as arms wrapped around his waist, a loud purr leaving the cat hybrid as the werefox scowled, growled low in his throat.

"I almost lost you, Master, you sure are an adventurer!" H laughed, purring away as he held onto the witch.

"Aw, does Fundy want more cat-maid H time?" Ranboo asked, watching Fundy's ears pin down to his head. "No-" The fox started, but H perked up, gasping in visible _delight_. "Ooh, yes! I bet master would _love_ even more time with me!"

" _More?_ " Ranboo sounded intrigued, grinned. Fundy had _paled_ , and H nuzzled his head into the fox's neck as his tail flicked, purring only increasing. "Oh, master _loves_ cuddling-"

"H, I will fucking find a way to _destroy_ you."

"Ooh, sounds like fun!"

" _Shut the **fuck** up_."

2\. My Hero?

_"Fundy! My son! I'm so proud of you!"_

_Where was he? He was surrounded by darkness, he couldn't see anything, he could barely hear a distant voice._

_"Fundy! My precious child! I've finally found you!"_

_He looked down at his paws, found he was.. Much smaller than he was a minute ago. He was still a fox, which was... He was a little kid. He wasn't a fox when he was a child, and, with tears welling up in his eyes, he thought about how much he wanted his papa there._

_"Fundy! My darling little boy! There you are!"_

_What did he have to lose, other than to follow the echoing, familiar voice? The little fox trotted on, his paws gently holding his fuzzy tail as he nervously looked around the darkness, a soft whine leaving him at the suffocating feeling of the void. "Papa?" He called, as hopeful as he was scared._

_"Fundy! My darling, precious little boy! You're here!"_

_He looked up, the voice louder than thunder in his ears. "Papa!" He cried, his walking pace turning quickly into running. He could see a figure at the end of the 'path', but it seemed like they were getting further away every single time he grew closer. Some sort of explosion set off behind him, sending Fundy crashing to the floor he couldn't see, groaning in pain. It took him a minute to push himself up, a now older Fundy looking up and watching in mounting horror as he was faced with the very country his father fought so hard for crashed and burned before his very eyes, TNT falling from the skies and turning it into rubble._

_Just one blink had it back in some semblance of order, a man he would never stand by now up on the podium, grinning down at the people as he gestured to Fundy. The fox's gaze drifted down and there, in his hands was their flag of L'Manberg, the fabric burning away. It felt like he wasn't there all of a sudden, like he was watching himself from the sidelines as his body moved on it's own, holding the torch to the flag before he was raising it above his head, an almost lifeless grin on his face as the goat hybrid and the rest of the Manberg supporters cheered around him. He looked over, could see the fury in Niki's face as she stormed away. No matter how much he tried to reach out, to call and beg and plead for his friend to come back, she wouldn't so much as look at him._

_That is, until they took it down together._

_He watched her burn the tree. She watched him help light up TNT and laugh himself stupid in the face of three Withers brought to take the country down the rest of the way._

_And just like that, he was all alone. Wilbur stood in front of him, a cold look on his face._

_He reached out, and his paws went right through the man. "Papa.." He breathed, watching the man scowl, stepping away from the fox. "You've disappointed me, Fundy," Wilbur had said. "I can't believe I raised someone like you."_

_"Don't leave me," Fundy whined, ears pinned to his head. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen!"_

_"You asked for this, Fundy, and now you'll be all alone. What do you have to show for it? Burn in the flames you started, **traitor**."_

_Fire was licking at his fur, a heartbeat of something not quite human thudding heavy in his ears as he cried, plead for a rescue that'd never come, a hero he most definitely didn't deserve._

_And as he cried out in every type of anguish he felt, he never saw the hand reaching through his darkness, gentle fingers curling around his fuzzy wrist and dragging him out of the flames that threatened to tear him apart yet again for crimes he both did and did not commit._

Fundy gasped as he sat up, ears pinned back as tears ran down his pale cheeks, shivers wracking his body.

It took a few moments of heavy breathing before he looked up, following a hand wrapped gently around his wrist to the concerned face of his own familiar. "Are you okay, Fundy?" H asked, brows furrowed. The fox didn't answer, simply continued to breathe heavy in the silence as he shook in place, so H continued, "I heard you from my room. You were crying," he whispered, gently wiping the few stray tears that rolled down Fundy's cheek. "You said 'papa' a lot... Was it.. Was it about-" He was cut off by the sudden weight, the taller man knocking H back into the foot of his bed as Fundy's arms wrapped tightly around his middle, face burying into his chest over his pajamas. H didn't say a word from there, but he felt Fundy start relaxing against him as one of H's arms wound around his shoulders, his free hand softly petting over his ears.

It wasn't often the dreams would disrupt him or anyone else, but it wasn't the first time they haunted his every moment of sleep.

And every detail was whispered into H's shirt as the sun began to rise beyond Fundy's window, the two in agreement of sleeping the day away. Fundy wouldn't leave bed, terrified of seeing Ghostbur or Niki, and H most definitely would _not_ leave his side. His familiar swore by this with fingers gently tangled in his orange hair. "I won't leave you, Fundy," He assured. "You can rest now, okay? I'll be right here."

While Fundy did not have pleasant dreams despite this, he was thankful for the dreamless sleep he got, relaxed and at a certain level of _peace_ curled up against H's chest, hidden away from the world.


End file.
